Cutting-machine.



L. E. PARMELEE. CUTTING ,'MAcHmE.

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, E w. m QN M m m i m T L. E. PARMELEE. CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATIQN FILED PR. 29, 1915.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

s SHEETS-sneu 2 L. E. PARMELEE.

cuTTmG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29, 1915. 1,165,1 19. Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

3 SHEETQ-SHEET 3.

,4 TTOHNEYS l UNITED STATES LEWIS E. PARMELEE, OF HILLIARDS, MIGHIGA"? CUTTING-MACHINE.

Application flied April 29,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lnwrs E. PARMELEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hilliards, in the county of Allegan and State of Michigan, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in cutting machines, and the invention has for its object to provide a. machine of the character specified especially adapted for cutting standing corn and the like, wherein a wheeled support is provided, having cutting mechanism at the front thereof for cutting the standing stalks in the row, and wherein a traveling feed table is provided arranged to carry the material from the cutting mechanism to other mechanism for cutting the stalks into short lengths, suitable for ensilage, and wherein a motor is provided on the support for operating the cutting mechanisms and the feed table.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved cutting machine. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow adjacent the line. Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial rear view showing the cutting and delivery mechanism, and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow adjacent the line.

The present embodiment of the invention comprises a platform or table 1, which is supported by rear wheels 2 and front wheels 3, the rear wheels being journaled on the ends of an axle 4, which is supported below the table 1, and the front wheels are journaled on the ends of an axle 5. Y

A tongue 6 is connected with the axle 5, and the tongue is braced against the axle by inclined braces 7 The lower section of a fifth wheel 8 yis mounted on the axle and the tongue and the upper section 9 of the fifth wheel cooperating with the section 8 is connected to the front end of the table 1, by brackets 10, the brackets spacing the said upper section below 'the table.

A motor 11 is supported on the table, the motor being a gasolene engine in the present instance, and the piston of the motor is con- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1915.

1915. serial No. 24,659.

nected by means of the rod 12 to the crank arm 13 of the crank shaft 14. Fly wheels 15 are secured to the opposite ends of the shaft, and a pulley 16 is secured to the inner end of the shaft.

A belt 17 connects the pulley to a pulle 18 arranged on a shaft 19 near the rear of the frame. This shaft 19 is provided with a gear wheel 20 which meshes with the gear wheel 21 on the shaft of a roller 21a, to be later described, and arranged at the upper end of an endless carrier whose upper roller `22 is journaled between side plates 23 and 23a of an elevator frame, the said frame consisting of the side plates and a bottom 25 connecting the side plates. A roller 24 is journaled between the side plates at the opposite end from the roller 22, and an endless belt 26 is supported by the rollers 22 and 24. This belt is provided with transverse slats 27 at spaced intervals, and it will be noticed from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the carrier constituted by the belt inclines upwardly toward the rear end of the supporting frame. The shaft of the roller 22 is journaled in bearings 28 on. the frame, and at its inner face the gear wheel 21 has a beveled gear 29. This beveled gear meshes with a` bevel pinion 30 on a shaft 31' extendin longitudinally of the carrier just describe and at the inner side of the `side plate 23, the said shaft being journaled in bearing brackets 32 extending inwardly from the side plates. Near its lower end the shaft has a beveled gear 33 which meshes with a similar gear 34 on a counter-shaft 35 journaled transversely of the side plates 23 and 23a.

The counter-shaft 35 vis provided at each end with sprocket wheels 36, and sprocket `chains 37 connect the said wheels with other sprocket wheels 38 on the outer ends of stub-shafts 39. The stub-shafts are arranged at opposite sides of the endless carrier 25, each being journaled in an extension plate 40 extending forwardly from the adjacent side plate 23 or 23a, as thefcase may be. These plates 40 are triangular, shown, and

the forward end of each plate is an acute angle.

art, the saine and cuttlng leo mechanism for the corn in the row is arranged at the junction of the side plates with the plates 23, 23a, and just in front of the lower end of the endless carrier, that is, just in front of the roller 24.

The cutting mechanism comprises a fixed channel-shaped guide41 extending between the plates 40, and having its channel upward, and a sickle bar 42 is mounted to reciprocate in the channel. Guard fingers -13 extend above the sickle bar and above the cutting knives 44, which are secured to the bar and extend outwardly therefrom. These knives, as shown, are the ordinary triangular cutting knives, eaclrhaving its apex forwardly and the sickle kbar is operated by means of a pitman 45 connected at one end to the sickle bar and at the other end to a wrist pin 46 on a disk 47 secured to the lower end of the shaft 31l before mentioned. It will vbe obvious that when this shaft 31 rotates, the sickle bar will be reciprocated in the guide and the standing stalks are guided into position to be cut -by the blades 44' by means of guide bars 48. These guide bars 48 are connected at their outer ends to' the inner faces of thev plates 40 and the bars converge inwardly toward the center of the endless carrier, the inner ends of the bars being spaced apart the Width of one of the cutting blades 44.

The stub-shafts 39 before mentioned are ilralinement, andare at opposite sides of the endless carrier 25. Each stub-shaft car ries a sprocket wheel 49V at its inner end and a sprocket Vchain 50 connects each of the sprocket wheels 49 with a ywheel 51 journaled at the lower end of the adjacent side plate 4S. Each sprocket chain 50 is provided withl outwardly extending spurs or lugs 52, the lugs or spurs being spaced apart from each other as shown, and extending l always perpendicular from the chain.

A guide' or support 53 is arranged beneath the upper run` of each of the chains 50 for supporting and guiding the'said upper run,I and the chains incline upwardly from the apices of the plate 40 toward their inner end, the said inner end being spaced above the lower end of the endless carrier 25 some distance, as shown. The chains 50 are approximately parallel with the endless -and is carriedupwardly to` feed rollers which deliver it to the cutting mechanism. The lower feed roller 21a before mentioned is journaled in standards 56 extending uping blocks anda connecting plate G()n arranged transversely of the upper end of each guideway and of the adjacent upright.

The rollerI 57 normally runs in contact with-the periphery of the roller 21 and the said roller 21a is just above and behind the roller An inclined chute 61 is arranged in rear of the endlesscarrier 2G, for receiving the material from, the feed rollers,

the upper end of the chute being just below the lovveifeed roller 21a.

The chute decreases in width toward its rear end and the said rear end delivers to an endless delivering carrier to be later described in detail.

The cutting mechanism is secured to the shaft 19,before mentioned, and the said shaft is journaled inbearing arms G2 connected to the side plates 23 and 23 in rear of the uprights or standards 5G. T he said shaft is provided at the opposite end from the pulley 18 with a gear wheel 63, which meshes with a gear wheel 64`on the opposite end of the roller 21a, before mentioned, and the said roller 21 is connected to the roller` 22 by means of a sprocket chain G5, which connects sprocket wheels 66' and 67, respectively, on the shafts 22 and 21a. Thus the endlessl carrier 25 is drivenby the sprocket chain from the shaft 19.

The cutting mechanism comprises a substantially rectangular metallic frame consisting of side members 68 and connecting end members 69, and each end member is provided with a central hub 70 fitting over the shaft 19, and secured thereto by a key 71 and a set screw 72. The forward edges of the side'members G8 are sharpened or beveled to form cutting edges. as shown more particularly in Fig. 5, and these movable blades 68 coiiperate with affixed ledger blade 73 arranged just in rear of the point of contact between the feed rollers. edge of the fixed blade is perpeiulicular to the opposite faces of the blade. and it will be evident that as the movable blade (38` sweeps past the vertical edge, the stalks will be cut and will fall upon the chute 61 which will deliver them to the endless carrier to be described. This carrier comprises side plates '74 and a bottom 75, and rollers 7G and 77 are journaled transversely of the side plates at the opposite ends thereof.

An endless belt 78 is supported by the rollers and. slats 79 are secured to the belt transversely thereof at spaced intervals.

The rear i lthe row of corn.

The upper run of thebelt passes above the bottom 75, and the upper run of the belt 26 mves in like manner abovethe bottom 25. Thus the upper run of the belt 78 is supportedby the bottom 7 5 of the frame. The ends of the shaft 7 G are extended, as shown, and the said' ends are journaled in bearings 8O in the arms of a yoke or U-shaped bracket 81.v At its inner ends the shaft 7G is provided with a beveled gear 82 which meshes with a similar gear 83 on the lower end of a shaft 8l journaled in a bearing arm 85 at its upper end, which extends laterally from the adjacent bracket (32, and at its lower end the shaft is journaled in a bearing bracket 86 connected to the adjacent side plate 23a.

At its upper end the shaft 8l has a beveled pinion 87 which meshes Vwith a beveled gear 88 integ al with vthel pinion 68, before mentioned. rllhus the roller 76 of the delivery carrier is driven by thev shaft 19, and the said 'shaft -drives alsovthe endless carrier 25i and the sickle barthroughpthe shaft 31.

A platform or table 89 is arranged on the side plate 23 intermediate the ends thereof,

and just below the feed table and extending a from the said table tothe inner ends ofthe chains. 50. The side plate 23a is provided with an extension 90 inclining outwardly4 and" upwardly, as shown more particularly in Fig. l.

The table 89 is supported by brackets 91' secured to the table and to the side plate 28,

The axle l is connected to the platform 1 by brackets 10a similar to the brackets 10, loefore mentioned.

In operation, the machine is drawn through the field by any` suitable means, with the plates l0 on the opposite sides of As the machine advances through the field with the motor running, the stalks are guided into position to be cut by the. knives or blades all on the sickle bar. The cut stalks fall upon ther upper run of the endless carrier 25 and are carried rearvvardly. boing finally delivered to the feed rollers 21"*57. rlhe rollers feed the stalks rearwardlyv between the saine and over the ledger blade 723, and as the stalks pass rearvvardl)v behind the blade. they are cut or clipped into pieces by the blades (S8. 'the cut stalks fall upon the chute (31` which delivers them to the endless rari-ier 78. 'this carrier is made adjustable so that the outer end may be raised or lo\vered and the cut stalks may be delivered into a wagon or other vehicle, if desired, or they may be delivered on to the ground.

lt will be noted yfrom an inspection of lig. that the table 1 is provided with an opening` 972 intermediate its ends. throi h which the endless carrier 1;.'rextind's i he front axle and Aconnected parts 'forni c truclat the trent of the platform iiivoted thereto for permitting guided.

I claim 1. yIn a machine of the character specified, a wheel supported frame, an endless carrier the wheeled support to be `at one side of the frame and extending downwardly at its front end, cutting mechanism at the front end of the endless carrier and intermediate the side edges thereof, vertical lguide plates at opposite sides of the front vendless carrier, the chains and the cutting mechanism.

2.y In a machine of the character specified, a wheel supported frame, an endless carrier at one side of .the frame and extending downwardly at its frontend, cutting mechanism at the front end of the endless carrier and intermediate the 'side edges thereof, vertical guide plates at opposite sides of the front endj otl the endless carrier, endless chains mounted on the guide plates and inclining upwardly toward Atheir rearends, and guide bars extending inwardly from the front' ends of the guide plates toward the cutting mechanism.

3. ln a machine of the character specified, a wheel supported frame, an endless carrier supportingtrough at one side of the frame and inclining downwardly toward its front end, an endless carrier supported by the trough, cutting mechanismat the said front end, moving means for guiding the stalks to the cutting mechanism, cutting mechanism at the upper end of the carrier for cutting the stalks into lengths, an endless carrier ai'- ranged transversely of the rear of the frame, a shaft upon which the inner end of the carrier is journaled, said shaft being journaled on the frame, a motor on the wheel supported frame, driving connections between the motor, the endless carrier, the first namedy cutting mechanism and the movingI mechanisin for the stalks, a vertical shaft jonrnaled on the frame the rear thereof and having a driving connection with the shaft upon which the transverse carrier is moi ed, and having a driving connection wien the stalk cutting mechanism, and means for swinging 'the carrier on its snppo ing slr ft.

' a machine of the character specia wheel supported frame, an endless at one side of the frame and at 'the upper and driving one end of the said shaft and having a drivnamed endless carrier, a shaft journaled 1oning connection therewith at its upper end, a gtudinally of the said endless Carrier and 10 shaft journaled on the frame at the lower having a driving connection with the Cutting end of the vertical shaft and having a drivmechanism at its front end and with the first ing connection With the said shaft, an endnamed shaft at its rear end, and means for less carrier supported'at one end by the last driving said shaft supported by the frame. named shaft and driven by the said shaft,

cutting mechanism at the front of the rst LEWIS E. PARMELEE. 

